And the World Will be Better for This
by misfire ezreal
Summary: [ABANDONED] Team 7 wants one last hurrah before going off into the real world. And what's a better hurrah than a cross-country roadtrip? But they've got just the tiniest surprise... "First ones to Ame win." Sabotage, dinner dates, and money-guzzling fun? Sounds right up Naruto's alley! Team 7-centric.
1. It'll be SOME Adventure

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Xx **And the World Will be Better for This** xX

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 _Chapter One: It'll be_ SOME _Ad_ _venture_

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 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Still can't believe YOU'RE going into LAW."

"I said I'd be Prime Minister, and I will be, believe it!"

Sakura shook her head, smiling. It was a warm, sunny summer day, and finals had officially finished at Konoha University. Students were leaving their campus dorms and nearby apartments to head home for the break.

Sakura and her boys sat outside a coffee shop, cozily shaded from the bright sunshine by a red and white parasol attached to the center of their table. Sakura adjusted her white sunglasses on her forehead, her pink hair shifting slightly as she did so, then reached for her raspberry lemonade.

"At this point, I bet you can do anything, Naruto." She sipped her drink, meeting Naruto's deep blue eyes as he nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Still kinda surprised you graduated." Sasuke shrugged as his friends eyes swiveled to him. "Just being honest."

"Still kinda surprised you're still a prick," Naruto countered, grinning wickedly. "Oh wait, just kidding." His cup of coffee sat empty on the table in front of him. Not that he needed the caffeine. Naruto was a ball of energy all on his own, wound-up, long-lasting and batteries included. "You're still the same asshole you were in middle school."

"Language," Sakura sing-songed to nobody in particular. When they had been younger, Sakura had been appalled by the boys choice of words. Nowadays, it was more a habit than anything else; she'd long since given up on training Naruto and Sasuke to be more proper. "Though Naruto has a point."

Sasuke's glare made Sakura dissolve into a peal of laughter.

"Annoying," he muttered, with just enough malice in his voice to renew Sakura's laughter. She couldn't help it. She knew his words meant nothing, really. Sasuke's insults were equivalent to terms of endearment, as she'd learned over the years.

"I can't believe we're here," Naruto said. "I mean, seriously!" He spread his arms. "Real world, here we come!"

"I am soooo not ready," Sakura moaned, slumping. "I start with Tsunade at the hospital in three months. Three!"

"I start in two and a half," Sasuke said.

"We won't see you again until Christmas, right?" Sakura asked.

"Aa." Sasuke drank some of his coffee. "If I'm lucky, I get Christmas. I might be stationed somewhere else at the time, though."

"Wherever the oil is," Sakura said. "That's where you'll be."

"Mm."

"That bites," Naruto said. "I guess I have it best? I got that paid internship in Suna. It's only, like, five hours away." He cringed. "But I have to DRIVE the whole trip back."

"So we only have the summer left together," Sakura said. She licked her lips. "And then... That's it. In a way."

"We'll still be friends!" Naruto replied.

"Not like this, though," Sasuke said.

"Yeah," Sakura continued. "We'll all be off on our own, doing our own things. Our lives won't revolve around..." She trailed off, gesturing at them and their table. "Around this! Around us." She sighed. "I guess that's just how the world works."

Unsurprisingly, Naruto replied immediately.

"We still have the summer!" Naruto leaned forward. "We should do something WILD!"

"I don't DO wild," Sasuke replied.

"Something our middle school selves would've been down for!"

"Like what?" asked Sakura. She tilted her head. "I don't mind, but do you have any ideas?"

"Well... No," Naruto admitted. "But I just kinda figured we could, you know, wing it or something."

"I'm not winging anything," Sasuke said. "Driving around aimlessly is pointless. And expensive."

"We don't have to drive!" Naruto said. "And if we do, we could take turns or something."

"That's not a half-bad idea," Sakura said, leaning forward eagerly. "I mean, doing something together." Her eyes shone with her excitement. "Guys, remember in eighth grade, when we said we would go on a road trip?"

"And then Sasuke left and ruined it?" Naruto nodded. "I remember. We had that shit all planned out, too!"

They did, Sakura remembered. With money they had saved for months, working part-time to get enough, and Sasuke's license and car, and tediously calculating the cost of visiting every museum and theme park and landmark that interested one of them, along with food and gas and hotel fares. Their homeroom instructor had even agreed to accompany them. Their parents had agreed to the trip since Kakashi Hatake would be supervising. (She an the boys had known he wouldn't, not too much, which was partly why they'd voluntarily asked him to come.)

"But youuuu," he pointed accusingly at the Uchiha, "You ditched us to spend the summer in Oto with that creepy snake guy!"

"Tch." Sasuke made no further acknowledgement of his decision to leave them like that in the past. "What about it?"

"We never did go on a road trip," Sakura said. "So..." She raised her eyebrows. "How about now? Before we start our lives as real, full-time employed adults?"

Naruto let out a whoop.

"Hell yeah, let's do it!"

"Sasuke, you in?"

"Pfft, he owes us!" Naruto cackled, grinning wickedly. "Which is why we'll be riding in HIS car!"

"Hn." Sasuke looked a little annoyed, but he still nodded. "Why not?"

"You must really feel guilty, to agree just like that, right off the bat," teased Sakura. "We didn't even have to coerce you!"

"He should be!" laughed Naruto. "Ah, man, this is gonna be so great!" His eyes were wide with enthusiasm. "I think I still have that dumb list of places we wanted to go and shit, too."

"You kept it?" Sakura asked.

"With the other Asshole things," he replied. "In the Asshole Box."

"You seriously had a box for my old stuff?" Sasuke asked incredulously.

"He did," Sakura confirmed.

"Creeper."

"Well, what else was I supposed to do with your goddamn Konoha license? Use it myself?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "Plus, you left a shit ton of stuff at my place. Clothes, homework - Mom even found one of your Playstation controllers!"

"And you kept ALL of it."

"Well, yeah!" Naruto raised an eyebrow. "How the hell did you not notice you were missing a Playstation controller, by the way?"

Ignoring Naruto's question, Sasuke addressed Sakura.

"We'll have to plan."

"If Naruto really does still have the lists, then we can use those," Sakura said. "We'll have to amend a few things, I'm sure, but we were actually pretty meticulous about the planning, if I'm remembering correctly."

"Yo, we can drink legally now," Naruto added, grinning. "Don't need to make our own fake ID's. I remember we put that on the list."

"YOU put that on the list," corrected Sasuke.

"You didn't cross it out, though!"

"Well, I'm free for the rest of the day, if you wanna start planning," Sakura said.

"I'm free," Sasuke said.

"And once we're done planning, we can go out to eat ramen!" Naruto declared. "Or maybe during." At Sakura and Sasuke's amused glances, he added, "Before, then?"

"We're probably gonna wind up winging it, even with some dusty old list."

"What's wrong with that?" Naruto asked. "Winging it is fun!"

"It'll be some adventure," Sasuke said, allowing himself a small smile of his own.

"Shannaro!" Sakura declared. She pushed her sunglasses down onto her face, grinning widely as she finished off her drink. "We're going on a road trip!"

She tossed her drink into the trash can with a sense of finality, and with that, their summer plans were sealed.

 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Hell NO are you going on a road trip!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, pushing a shopping cart down a Wal Mart aisle. Inside her basket were multiple canned goods, a few packets of water bottles, some sunscreen, a new tote to carry her toiletries, and some new lip gloss and eye shadow she'd picked up for the heck of it. She needed something fresh for the trip, anyways. (And besides, she figured, who DOESN'T want more lip gloss?)

"Like you can stop me, Ino pig," Sakura replied, turning down an aisle full of starch foods. She grabbed a box of instant ramen (Naruto would be thrilled) before speaking again. "We've wanted to do this since forever."

"Correction!" Ino said. "You and NARUTO have wanted to do this since forever. Sasuke's the one who left you guys at the altar about it the first time you tried."

"Ino pig, your analogies leave a lot to be desired."

"A lot like you, Forehead."

"Hey, I resent that!" Sakura rolled her eyes, pushing the cart on. "Besides, this time, Sasuke's coming."

"And if he decides to just leave you guys stranded somewhere?" Ino shook her head. "I don't like it, Sakura. You're smart, but those two give a whole new meaning to stupid." In spite of her words, Ino pulled the rolling cart to a stop by some dried fruits. "You'll need some of this," she said, adding it to the cart. "Regular fruit will go bad."

Sakura sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she gathered her thoughts.

"Ino," she said carefully, "I know you're worried about me, but I can take care of myself."

"But you're my baby!" Ino cried, stopping in the middle of the aisle. A few other customers turned to look at them in concern. "I took care of you in elementary school. And when the Asshole left, I nursed you back to health. Do you even REMEMBER yourself in elementary school?"

"I try not to," Sakura said, smiling reassuringly at one elderly woman who she caught looking at them with worry on her face.

"A baby! A sweet, innocent, naive little baby! And I took care of you! I showed you how to be tough and how to stand up for yourself!" Ino whipped around, blonde hair flying, grabbed a bag of salted nuts, and dropped them into the cart. "I showed you and Hinata the intricacies of socializing and showed you how to navigate the dating scene!"

"You're not invited, Ino," Sakura said bluntly.

"Well, I SHOULD be," snapped the blonde, roughly throwing a bag of Sunchips into the basket. "When the Asshole left, it was ME who helped you move the fuck on with your life while Narutard buried himself in internships and you wallowed in your own self-loathing." Ino paused. "Which was pretty gross, by the way."

"It's just me and the boys," Sakura said. "That's how we planned it, so that's how we're doing it."

"Well, what about Sai?" asked Ino. "He's your friend, too! A better one than the Asshole ever was!"

"We love Sai, but this isn't..." Sakura sighed. "This is a thing for the three of us." Sakura met Ino's eyes. "Please, can you drop it? I know you get it."

Ino huffed.

"Fine." She put her hands on her hips. "But like hell do I approve."

Sakura hugged her best friend.

"Thanks for understanding," she said. She pulled back. "And thanks for helping, even though you don't want me to go."

Ino sniffed obnoxiously.

"You're my baby," she said. "I am obligated to make sure you are fed and sexy at all times." Ino winked.

"Sexy?" Sakura laughed. "Go find me some sexy tampons, then. I'm gonna need 'em."

"The sexiest they've got," Ino promised seriously. She hurried off towards the feminine products while Sakura grabbed some juice.

"Let's see..." Sakura quickly pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her jeans pocket, going through the list of products she needed to get. "Food, food, more food..." She made a face. "I forgot tuna. Whoops." She sped through the grocery store, grabbing a few of the remaining items on the list. Ino joined her shortly, smiling brightly and dumping two boxes of tampons and something else Sakura didn't quite see into Sakura's cart.

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"What did you just try to sneak into my cart, you pig?"

Ino feigned innocence.

"What are you talking about? They're just tampons. Are your eyes as bad as your forehead?"

Sakura ignored her friend and reached into the cart.

"I definitely saw THREE boxes," she said. "And you know I only need, like, two."

"Sakura, they're just tampons, who cares?" Ino looked on, then burst into laughter as Sakura's expression changed.

"What. The hell."

Sakura pulled her hand away from the offending box as if it were on fire.

"Well-fed and sexy, remember? I want to make sure you're safe," said Ino, smirking at Sakura's somewhat mortified face. "He may be an asshole, but Sasuke's a hot one."

"I am NOT buying that," Sakura protested. She picked the box up and tossed it at her blonde friend.

Ino squealed before breaking into laughter, and Sakura couldn't help but follow suit. They must have looked strange, two young women cackling in the middle of the cereal aisle over a box of condoms.

Sasuke was right.

This road trip was gonna be some kind of adventure. And Sakura knew, without a doubt, that it would be the good kind.


	2. The Best Summer Ever

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Xx  **And the World Will be Better for This** xX

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 _Chapter Two: The Best Summer. Ever._

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 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Are you sure that's everything?" asked Sakura.

Naruto rolled his shoulders. He had just finished lugging the last of Sakura's luggage out from her house and into the trunk of Sasuke's car. It was an Elantra Coupe. Sasuke insisted the color was Sea Blue, but to Naruto it just looked blue-green, no fancy name necessary. Sakura and him teased Sasuke incessantly for his stinginess over the color, which Sasuke, in turn, flat-out ignored.

"Pretty sure, yup," Naruto replied, yawning. It was seven in the morning, and Naruto hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. He had been too excited for their road trip for sleep, and had spent most of the time in bed wondering if he'd packed everything he needed. Judging by the bags under Sakura's and Sasuke's eyes, he was not alone in his sleepless night.

"Good." Sakura, to her credit, had done her hair and makeup despite her lack of sleep. Simple eyeliner and light pink eyeshadow brightened her baggy eyes up, and she had taken time to carefully tease her hair into curls, which bounced and swayed as she moved towards Naruto. "Let me go inside and grab the Bag of Wonders. And Sasuke."

Naruto closed the trunk. "Okay, I'll be out here!"

Sakura nodded and headed inside Sasuke's place.

Before he'd left Konoha, Sasuke had lived all alone in his family's old compound. But since returning, he'd decided instead to spend some of his inherited fortune on an apartment on the opposite side of town. Which, conveniently, was the side of town Sakura and Naruto lived on. His apartment was modest. With his fortune, Sakura sometimes wondered why he hadn't opted for a condo, but she chalked it up to his personality. He wasn't the type to be flashy or spend superflously.

Sakura jogged up the stairs to Sasuke's place and opened the door. Sasuke stood in the hallway in front of her, an eyebrow raised.

"Did you leave something?" he asked.

"Bag of Wonders," Sakura said by way of explanation. Sasuke stepped aside, letting her in before closing the door behind her. She made a beeline to his couch, sweeping her new tote onto her shoulder and whirling around to see Sasuke reposition his backpack on his shoulder.

"I'll ask Naruto again if he has to go to the restroom before we leave," Sakura said.

Sasuke made a face.

"You KNOW as soon as we start he's going to need to go," said the young man. Sakura nodded, shrugging.

"Not like we can force him into going here," she replied.

"Maybe YOU can't."

Sakura put a hand on her hip.

"What're you gonna do, Sasuke, drag him back up here and lock him in the bathroom 'til he gets the urge to pee?" She smiled. She could actually imagine it, and judging by the look on Sasuke's face, it was exactly what he'd planned on doing. "It'll be fine, Sasuke. He'll go before we get out of the city."

"Hopefully," Sasuke responded. She walked past him, leaving him to lock up his apartment while she hurried down the metal steps that clanked and creaked as she moved. Inwardly, she was grateful she'd opted for her white tennis shoes instead of the neon pink flip flops she'd been considering; the amount of moving back and forth between the car and all their houses, dragging everyone's bags and the food and other toiletries and necessities they'd need, had been quite a work-out, especially considering how early it was. It was already hot, too. Konoha summers were far from blistering, but today was bright and sunny, and the humidity was just high enough to make it seem warmer than usual. She was glad she'd dressed in a light pink tank top and daisy dukes, otherwise she might be working up a sweat.

"Naruto, last call for bathroom!" she called. He poked his head out the shotgun window.

"I'm good," he replied. She joined him on his side of the car, approaching him as he smiled up at her from his spot in the car. Her eyes narrowed.

"Out," she said.

"What?" Naruto looked confused. "But I don't gotta go."

"I called shotgun," Sakura said. "Get out."

Realization dawned in Naruto's eyes, and he smirked, leaning backwards in his chair.

"You snooze, you lose," he said. "I got here first, so shotgun's mine."

"Is not."

"Is, too!"

"Is NOT."

"Is, TOO!"

"Stop acting like five year olds," Sasuke said as he opened the driver's side door and slid into his seat.

"The one with the best DJ skills always gets shotgun!" Naruto said. "I have mad DJ skills, so I get to sit here!"

"You can't navigate to save your life," Sakura said. "Sasuke doesn't have GPS, so someone's gotta give him directions!" She crossed her arms. "And FYI, your Ipod consists of only Killer Bee. Nobody likes Killer Bee."

"I like Killer Bee," Naruto protested.

"Nobody else does," Sasuke responded. "Give Sakura shotgun."

Naruto let out a groan. "You guys always bully me together!" He nonetheless relinquished shotgun to the pinkette, who happily plugged her Ipod into Sasuke's car.

"In honor of the nostalgia that's oozing from everything about this trip," said Sakura, scrolling through her music, "I am about to play something special." She smirked as Naruto grumbled something about Killer Bee being special and Sasuke emitted an annoyed "tsk" beside her. "Something that our middle school selves would approve wholeheartedly of." She clicked play.

Sasuke and Naruro groaned in unison upon hearing the opening lyrics ("COME ON!") as Sakura cracked up.

"Eww, get it away!" Naruto cried from the back seat. "Turn that off! Why the hell did we even like this song?"

"I don't know," Sasuke replied, cringing. "We didn't know any better." He frowned. "Naruto, still wanna DJ?"

"ROCKS was _totally_ our theme song in middle school, don't act like you don't still like this song!" Sakura replied. She rolled her eyes when they protested, then scrunched up her face as the background singers let out a peal of woo's. "God, this song sucks almost as much as you guys."

"Sasuke's the only shitty friend," Naruto complained. "But yeah, this song sucks."

"Burns my ears," Sasuke agreed.

And with that, Sasuke hit the gas, lurching onto the streets. Despite bemoaning the music, the three burst into song (well, Sakura and Naruto did; Sasuke mumbled) on the chorus together with their best imitations of the lead singer.

There were bags under their eyes and smiles on their lips.

Their road trip had officially begun.

Hinata was lazing in bed, still in her cream nightgown, reading a manga. The sunlight streamed through her open window, illuminating her room and, combined with the drapes and curtains hanging about her bed, created a shimmering effect.

Hinata liked to imagine herself in a different plane of existence at times like these. Just her, a story, the sunlight, and her thoughts. The faint sound of chimes from the garden downstairs, resonating softly. The smell of the lavenders perched on her windowsill, their scent wafting in lightly with the breeze that rustled her sheets ever so gently.

Summer had just begun, and she was delighted.

The sudden blaring of a raucous party song startled Hinata so much that she let out a little yelp, dropping her book. The foggy, dreamy spell of the room was broken.

Ino changed her ringtone again, Hinata realized as she hopped off her bed. Grabbing her phone from her desk, she glanced curiously at the time before answering.

"I'm surprised you're awake at eight AM," Hinata said.

"Oh, shush," Ino said. Hinata smiled; she could envision her blonde friend rolling her eyes. "Just because I'm a night owl doesn't mean I can't wake up early every now and then."

"E-Evidently."

"Besides, I'm a ninja with a mission," Ino continued. "And I need your assistance, my dear, fellow kunoichi!"

Hinata plopped back onto her bed. "With what?" she asked.

Ino paused. (For dramatic effect, Hinata assumed.)

"I want you and me," she said, "To go on a vacation together!"

Hinata felt a grin of surprise and happiness slowly spread across her face as Ino's words sank in.

"Oh, Ino, I'd love to!" She shifted on her bed, sitting cross-legged. "Where do you want to go? A-And when?" Hinata began thinking of the planning they would have to make, of decisions to be made.

But Ino had apparently already decided.

"Let's go somewhere today."

"T-Today?" Hinata looked out her window. "B-But-"

"Oh, come on," whined Ino. "It'll be fun! We can take your car and just go!" As Hinata stuttered a protest, Ino added, "I know you're shy, Hinatink, but... Haven't you ever wanted to do something adventurous?"

"O-Of course," Hinata admitted. "B-But this is so sudden!" Her mind, still groggy from not being used much that day, whirled at the prospect of what Ino was proposing. "My father-"

"Oh, SCREW your father!" Ino snapped sharply. "I know he's a loving father and all but, honestly, Hina? It's like you've been living under a rock since before I met you. You didn't even know Itachi was part of Akatsuki, and they're one of the world's best bands! And now? We're all a little smarter and wiser. College is over. Our careers start when summer ends. You think we'll ever get another chance like this? To do something this crazy and fun?"

Hinata was struck by her friends words. They were true, she realized. After this summer, she was off to become a manager at a business owned by her family. She'd spend her summers from now on working her way up the ranks until her father retired.

After this summer, who knew if she'd ever spend another with her friends?

"I... Y-Yeah."

"Earth to Hinata? You there?" Ino's voice was bright and chirpy through the phone speakers. "The answer is actually NO, we will NOT get ano-"

"I know, Ino," Hinata interrupted. She hopped off her bed and yanked her closet door open, pulling clothes indiscriminately off her hangers and tossing them onto her bed. "You're right. S-Screw what Father wants." She dragged her suitcase out and zipped it open. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she dumped the pile of clothes inside her suitcase.

Ino gasped on the other line.

"Oh, Hinata, thank you!" Ino clapped on the other side of the line. "All right, can you come pick me up in a few hours?"

"I'll be there in t-two." Hinata stood, grabbing a bright yellow sundress from the lump of fabric bunched in her suitcase. She walked to her window, glancing outside at the bright morning.

"Great! Thanks a bunch, Hinatink!" Hinata could hear Ino's grin through the phone. "Don't forget to eat something for breakfast! Eat well and look sexy at all times!"

"I d-don't do sexy," Hinata replied, smiling softly.

"Hey, can't help being who you are, Hinatink," Ino replied. "See you in a bit!"

Hinata heard the click of the phone that signified Ino had hung up, and then she scrambled to grab her undergarments.

She had two hours to shower, pack, and maybe grab a piece of toast on her way out.

This was looking to be the best summer. EVER.

 **AN: Short but necessary. Hinatink is a nod to an old DeviantArt buddy/fellow admin.**

 **And now the story REALLY begins. Let's see if you can figure out the REAL main character. (Hint: the story's a bildungsroman.)**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **xoxoPigTails**


	3. Hold the Breadsticks, Sasuke

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Xx **And the World Will be Better for This** xX

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 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

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 _Chapter Three: Hold the Breadsticks, Sasuke_

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 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"I need to pee."

"Oh, for crying out loud."

"Hey, when ya gotta go, ya gotta go, mister!"

"What is this, Little Orphan Naruto?" Sasuke snapped back.

"Wait, hold the breadsticks, you've seen Annie, Sasuke?" asked Sakura.

"That reference was for Sakura, to be honest," Naruto added.

"Didn't think you'd get it."

Sasuke sniffed. (Sakura thought it was meant to be an offended sniff, but it just came off as a pretentious one.)

"Everyone's seen Annie," he responded.

"Even you, apparently," snarked Naruto. "Now, back to the subject: my bladder." He leaned forward so his head poked into the front with Sasuke and Sakura. "I really gotta go. Like, mayday, mayday, the dam is gonna break soon."

"Why the HELL did you not go before we left city limits?" Sasuke retorted. "Just hold it."

"But I can't!" Naruto complained. "I need to pee really bad!"

"It's a hard knock life, loser," snarked Sasuke.

"There's nowhere to stop, Naruto," Sakura replied. "Unless you wanna go behind a tree." She nodded her head towards the forest they were passing. "Because we're not gonna be anywhere near a bathroom any time soon."

They had left Konohagakure's city limits about thirty minutes ago. Now, they were winding through one of the Land of Fire's famous forests, some of which spanned over 20,000 acres.

Naruto let out a groan.

"Okay, okay, I'll try to hold it," he said.

"Good," Sasuke replied.

They drove in relative quiet, aside from the sound of Sakura shifting in her seat to pick a new song mid-way through a Nico Touches the Walls recording of Diver.

For about five minutes, there was peace. And then...

"Okay, I need to go NOW!"

Sasuke let out an exasperated huff while Sakura turned in both annoyance and concern to address Naruto.

"You mean, like, RIGHT now?" she asked.

"I mean, if Sasuke can't speed at 10,000 miles per hour and get me somewhere within the next minute I am going to stain his precious leather seats!" Naruto said, shifting noticeably in discomfort. "And I don't know about you guys, but I don't like the idea of riding in a car that smells like a nasty-ass public bathroom."

"Ugh!" Sasuke pulled onto the shoulder, breaking delicately so as not to agitate Naruto's bladder further. No sooner had the car come to a stop that Naruto threw open his door and tumbled out, already messing with the zipper on his pants as he awkwardly waddle-hopped into the thicket.

Sakura let out a frustrated sigh.

"I should have just let you deal with him back at your place," she said. Sasuke let out a sound of agreement. "And knowing him, he'll need to pee again in thirty minutes."

"Aa." Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Don't make him hydrate, then."

Sakura gave him an incredulous look.

"He will drink soda and only soda unless I make him drink water."

"If he doesn't drink _any_ thing, he won't need to pee."

Sakura rolled her eyes, falling back onto her seat with a huff.

"We are going to be on the road for hours and as a doctor-to-be I am going to make sure nobody dies of diarrhea or starvation."

Sasuke emitted a snort but said no more.

Naruto eventually waddled back to the car, very content with himself now that his bladder had been adequately emptied.

"M'kay, we can go now!" he said enthusiastically as he slammed the car door closed behind him. His grin was wide, and he didn't catch Sasuke's eye roll or Sakura's sigh. Sasuke pulled back onto the road.

"You're sure you're all done now, Naruto?" Sakura asked. "We can't pull over like that all the time or we'll never get anywhere."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," said the blonde dismissively. "Besides, once we're outta the woods, there'll be places to stop."

"Gotta GET out of the woods first, idiot," Sasuke said, "Not pull over to pee in them."

"Is that malice I detect in your tone?" Naruto asked.

"He's just eager to get going," Sakura replied. "Pay no mind."

Sasuke rolled his eyes again.

"Anyways," Naruto said, deciding it was time to change topics. "So... When the hell did you ever watch Annie, Sasuke?"

"High school."

"Ooooooooh!" Naruto leaned forward. "So it was with your OTHER friends."

"Are you buckled, Naruto?"

"Yes, it was," Sasuke replied simply. Naruto emitted another drawn-out exclamation.

"How'd they get you to watch it?"

"School-sponsored showing. It was free, there was nothing else to do, so we went."

"Ex _cuse_ me," interrupted Sakura, "But I am NOT a flight attendant, Naruto, so if I have to tell you to please FASTEN your SEATBELT one more time, you are going to be in a WORLD of pain."

Naruto hastily clicked his seatbelt into place, and Sakura's scowl melted away.

"Good," she said, and then turned to Sasuke. "So did you like it?"

"Annie?" asked Sasuke.

"Well, yeah."

He shrugged.

"It's okay."

"You're not really the type to like musicals, is all," Sakura said. "So I was just curious what made you remember it."

"Hn."

He was silent.

Naruto gasped dramatically in the back seat.

"Oh my GOD!" He laughed. "Oh my god, it's because she's an ORPHAN, isn't it?"

Sasuke tsked, but did not deny the claim.

Sakura's eyebrows shot up.

"Serious?"

"Yes, he is, oh my GOD!" Naruto was practically howling. "That's gotta be the stupidest reaso-"

"I'm an orphan, too."

"Yeah," Naruto said. "And you relate to, like, a ten-year-old girl who sings!"

"It's not easy being an orphan," Sasuke said defensively.

"Hard knock life, right?" sniggered the blonde.

"Quit being insensitive, Naruto!" Sakura said.

"But it's fucking FUNNY!" laughed Naruto. "And ironic!"

"Your _face_ is ironic."

"Touchy, touchy, aren'tcha, Sasuke?"

"Naruto!"

"All right, all right, I'll drop it!"

Pause.

"IF you play some Killer Bee."

"Oh, for the love of-"

"I will sing every song from Annie if you don't play Killer Bee," Naruto promised.

"You wouldn't fucking dare," growled Sasuke.

Naruto simply took a deep breath and began serenading his friends. (Serenade was the wrong word for it. He was essentially screaming.)

"THE SUN'LL COME OUT TOMORROW-"

"You just HAD to dare him-"

"-BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT TOMORROW THERE'LL BE SUN!"

"Play the goddamn Killer Bee, Sakura."

"For the well-being of our ears," she mumbled under her breath, scrolling through her Ipod music as quickly as possible. She chose the first Killer Bee song she had.

 _"Gyu-ru-ru-"_

Naruto stopped singing almost immediately.

"Sated?" Sakura asked, twisting in her chair to face the blonde. He wore a broad grin and nodded, swaying in time to the music. "Good."

"Idiot."

"Asshole."

Sakura shook her head.

"You're BOTH idiots."

"Am not!" Naruto protested at the same time as Sasuke emitted a disapproving huff.

"Yup, both idiots."

 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Oh."

Moments before, Hinata had been practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, glowing with excitement at the thought of traveling cross-country with one of her best friends in the whole wide world.

Now she was paling quickly and thinking her bed was probably the better place to spend her summer vacation.

"You appear scared, Hinata."

Hinata pressed her fingers nervously together. It was an old habit she'd developed in her childhood, and it was one of many things Ino had tried to correct in high school. It had worked, to some extent; Hinata rarely twiddled her fingers anymore, and it was only under extreme stress or worry.

And she was extremely worried.

"I-I didn't realize, uhm, that Sai w-would be coming along," she stuttered.

"Oh, I guess I kinda forgot to mention it?" Ino supplied. "Sorry, it was all so last-minute and I guess it slipped my mind." To her credit, Ino did look sheepish. "I promise it'll be fine, though. We all went to high school and uni together, after all."

"I'm sorry to cause you discomfort," Sai apologized. If this had been high school, Hinata wouldn't have believed him, but university had made the pale young man grow out of his shell. He spoke sincerely nowadays. "If it's really a problem, then I-"

"Not another word," Ino interrupted. "It's totally fine! She's just surprised, she likes to be prepared." Ino waved off Hinata's nervousness. "Now. Before we go, we just HAVE to polish up. Go ahead and load up, Sai, we'll be down in a few!"

Ino grabbed Hinata, yanking the keys from her hands and tossing them to Sai, and then pulled her inside the Yamanaka residence. It was a two-story, upper-middle-class house, with pretty chandeliers and tasteful interior decorating. Ino lived on the second floor, and so the girls traipsed up the steps and then walked down the hall to Ino's room.

Hinata waited until Ino closed the door before speaking.

"I do NOT feel comfortable, Ino. I hardly know him!"

"Oh, come on," Ino pleaded. "I helped him out, too, helped him develop some emotion in uni. You know he doesn't have many friends, and I think this would be a good, memorable trip for him."

"But he's not my friend," Hinata said bluntly. "A-And I feel bad for him, yes, but if my father finds out I'm w-with a boy, he'll be angry."

"Angrier than he already will be?" asked Ino.

"I... I don't know," Hinata admitted. "But... Angry."

"Just tell him he's gay, then."

Hinata's eyes widened.

"Sai is gay?"

"No," Ino replied, "But your dad doesn't know that." At Hinata's hesitant intake of breath, she continued. "Sai won't put the moves on you, don't worry. Everyone and their UNCLE knows that you TOTES belong with Narutard, anyway."

"Don't call him that!" Hinata said. "That's so mean!"

"Well, he deserves the title, after not noticing the hot babe crushing on him for all these years."

"Ino, please try to be considerate of your word choice, at least."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll try." Ino clapped her hands together. "So are you cool now or are you cool now?"

Hinata sighed. She DID want to do something rebellious... And coming to think about it, having a boy along would make things safer, in a way, if she could convince Neji to be on her side also. Her father, as an old-fashioned type, would be relieved to hear someone was along who could protect them.

"Stop saying Narutard."

"I will, I will, no worries," Ino promised. "Now let's get to work." Ino yanked one of her vanity's drawers open with far more force than necessary. "What possessed you to think no makeup was acceptable?"

Hinata groaned.

"I gave myself, f-five minutes to get ready!"

Ino laughed.

"Well, you don't like spending a lot of time on makeup anyway, so we'll make it some light stuff, then," she responded, pulling out an assortment of brushes. "So we'll be on the road in a jiffy, no sweat!"

 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

It had taken Ino thirty minutes before she was satisfied with Hinata's hair and makeup, and by then it was eleven in the afternoon. (Precisely eleven-o-six, according to Sai, who called it out to the ladies as they dragged Ino's two suitcases out to the car.)

"Wh-Where are we off to first?" Hinata asked, sliding into the driver's seat of her Kia Soul. Ino closed the trunk and hopped in the front passenger seat. "I'll need directions."

"Oh, right," Ino said, tapping quickly on her cell phone. Hinata put the car in drive and set off down the street, turning right at the corner.

"Then where?"

"Huh?" Ino looked up. "Oh. Oh! That's not what I meant!"

Hinata slowed to a stop.

"Ino, do you have directions?" she asked. Ino's phone vibrated.

"Uh, yeah," she said.

"Hang on a sec." She clicked on he phone for a few moments.

"Ino, perhaps we should decide on where to go before leaving Konoha?" Sai asked.

"No, no, I got it!" She grinned at her friends. "Must be nice in Suna this time of summer. Not too sizzling hot yet, but still warm enough to wear a tank top and sandals."

"Suna? We're going to Suna?" Sai sounded perplexed. "Why?"

"Because they have an annual festival in four days," Ino replied. "And I have access to a free five-star hotel there." She gestured in front of them. "As it happens, we're goin' the right way. Go straight until the light, then hang a left and then take another under the freeway."

"Uh, o-okay."

"Let's go, crew!" Ino shouted boisterously. "All for one and one for all!"

"That is out of context in this situation, Ino."

"Oh, don't be a party pooper, Sai." Ino pointed her index finger forward dramatically. "Cruise on!"

 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

 **Yes, the character's being insensitive is intentional and is not a reflection on my own personal views. It's a bildungsroman. Everyone in the story will grow, but there are three in particular who will grow the most. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you thought!**

 **Also: hold the breadsticks is a fabulous phrase and I use it all the time.**

 **xoxoPigTails**


	4. Killer Bee and Mario Kart

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Xx **And the World Will be Better for This** xX

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 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

 **..**

 _Chapter Four: Killer Bee and Mario Kart_

 **..**

 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"What's the festival for?"

"It's for some historic thing that happened, I don't know," Ino said, hand lazily draped out the open window. They had decided that, since they had reached K-7, the main highway that connected Konoha to Suna's borders, they would forego air conditioning in favor of the natural, clean air supplied by Konoha's lush forests, which would encompass the highway for quite a while.

"We can find out wh-when we get there." Hinata, eyes trained on the road in front of her, smiled. "Maybe visit a museum, too."

"That would be intriguing," Sai agreed.

"Neeeerds," Ino replied. "The both of you."

"Well, you're not wrong," Sai said.

Ino gasped loudly.

"OMG, was that a MEME you just referenced, or am I losing my hearing?" Ino let out a teetering laugh. "I was NOT expecting that from you!"

"Contrary to what you might think, I do try to keep up with what is popular," Sai replied.

"I-I'm sure she didn't mean any offense," Hinata said to him. "You just don't seem the type to, uh, spend m-much time online."

"Nor do you," Ino said. "But everyone's full of surprises!"

"Then what's YOUR surprise?" Sai asked.

"I'm a straight-A sorority girl," Ino responded, not missing a beat. "But I'm still sexy and fun!"

"Ah."

Hinata giggled.

"B-But you still don't know wh-what you'll do with your life."

"Hey, I have my youth to figure it out!" Ino said. "Just because my family's full of psychiatrists doesn't mean that *I* want to throw money and timedown the drain for med school!"

"I can understand that," Sai said.

"Yeah." Ino ran a hand through her blonde ponytail, letting out a light breath of air. "So, uh, ANYWAY. After Suna, I was thinking we could swing over to Iwa, and maybe Iron if we have time."

"You're ma-making more plans already?" Hinata sounded partly surprised and partly pleased. "That's lovely!"

"Why Iwa?"

"Why?" Ino swung around in her seat to face Sai. She met his eyes, and in her most monotone voice, replied, "Why not?"

Sai shrugged, looking out the window.

"Just curious," he said. "It's pretty far away from Suna."

"Hello, it's called a road trip for a reason!" Ino said. "If you're not on the road more than you're in a hotel, you're doing it wrong!"

"I don't suppose you've got a fr-friend in Iwa with a-a five-star hotel?" Hinata asked, half-jokingly, in her soft-spoken voice.

"I don't have to," Ino replied. At her friend's curious glances, she shook her head, letting out a coy giggle. "You'll see, don't worry." She yawned. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to change the station. Bo -ring!"

Ino reached for the tune button.

"B-But- Wait - STOP!"

Ino quickly retracted her hand.

"Whoa," Ino said, laughing cheekily. "I've never heard you scream like that, Hinatink!"

"I-I-I-I-I... Just..." Hinata took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"All right up there, girls?" Sai asked from the backseat, looking up from his sketchbook.

"We will be," Ino responded. She rounded on Hinata. "Now. Explain yourself, Hinatink. Why are you so emotionally attached to this station?"

There was a moment's silence.

"I-It's the song, n-not the station," Hinata said.

Ino blinked, then turned forward, listening intently.

"It's Killer Bee," Hinata offered meekly.

"You like Killer Bee?" Ino's tone was slightly horrified. "Hinata, my sweet, sweet angel, you listen to KILLER BEE?"

"No," Hinata admitted. "I just... I j-just like this song. Just the one."

It took Ino all of two seconds.

"OH MY GOD, IT'S NARUTO!"

"Dickless isn't here," Sai stated. "Did we drive past him?"

"Not what I meant, Sai." Ino turned to stare intently at Hinata's rapidly-redding face. "It's Naruto, isn't it?"

Hinata nodded, a tiny little duck of her chin, and Ino squealed.

"Oh my GOD, that's so adorable!" Ino clapped her hands together excitedly. "Promise me you'll play this at your wedding!"

"I-Ino-"

"I am NOT compromising on this," Ino said. "Mama Ino has spoken: You shall walk down the aisle to this song." She banged her fist on the dashboard. "Court dismissed, end of discussion."

"Ino, I d-"

"It's official. Nobody can change it. This is SET IN STONE. Forever and ever, Amen."

"Ino!"

Hinata was completely red-faced from embarrassment. Ino and her shared a quick glance, eyes meeting, before they both dissolved into a peal of giggles.

Sai huffed, rolling his eyes.

As the girls started discussing what color dress Hinata should wear for her wedding ("Orange, you know he'll go totally gaga for it!" "A-Are you crazy? I'm not wearing orange to my w-wedding! White will do just fine!"), Sai glanced down at his newest sketch.

A car barreling down the highway toward something. He hadn't decided what the background would be yet, where they were headed to.

Maybe Suna, he thought to himself. If I'm inspired by it.

The girls giggled again in the front seats.

We'll see.

 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Who's that, Sakura? What's up?"

Naruto was leaning forward, trying to look over Sakura's shoulder as she typed out a reply. Her phone had been buzzing like crazy for the past few minutes, interrupting the music now and then.

"Nothing to worry about," Sakura replied breezily.

"Baaaah," Naruto pouted. "Share the gossip!"

"No."

"Why you gotta be like that? "

"Because it's really none of your beeswax," Sakura replied, smiling brightly back at her blonde friend.

"Ah, touche." Naruto leaned back in his seat, sighing. "But in my defense, I'm bored."

"Well, then." Sakura tapped on her phone, switching to a song by Hearts Grow. "How about some Mario Kart?" Sakura asked.

"I don't have the game," Naruto said, voice laced with sadness. "I would if I could."

"I have it," Sakura supplied, rummaging through her tote.

"Thanks, but one player's not much fun."

"Download play, idiot."

"Wow, Sasuke, that hurts," Naruto said. "That's so insensitive."

"Sasuke, back down," Sakura said.

"Yeah, quit sassing me!"

"Stop asking for it, then."

"Sasuke," Sakura said in a warning tone.

"Tch."

"But, he DOES have a point. You can Download play with me," Sakura said.

"Okay!" Naruto brightened up significantly. "Lemme grab my 3DS!"

Twenty minutes of screaming and cursing later, Naruto let out a particularly boisterous cackle.

"Whoever made this game is some sick bastard!" Naruto laughed. "Who the hell throws a freakin' BOMB at the car in front of you? Like, seriously, who came up with that?"

"Satan, probably," Sakura replied.

"Hn."

"Oh, look, the Dark Lord himself admits to it!"

"Hey," Sasuke said defensively.

"I jest, I jest," Naruto laughed. "But for real. Praise Mario Kart!"

"Mario Kart is a gift from God," Sakura said, smiling.

"Truly," Naruto replied. "Now, let's kick some Bowser butt!"

Sakura giggled, starting another game for them. The countdown for the race began, and both of them began to revv their engines.

Then their car in real life began to slow down.

Sakura's eyes widened. (Naruto was oblivious, absorbed in trying to keep his lead in second place despite the enemy team's ink covering half his screen.)

"Everything okay, Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

He said nothing, but his hands were tight on the steering wheel.

"Sasuke?" Game abandoned, Sakura's expression morphed to one of concern.

Again, the Uchiha said nothing, and silently pulled onto the shoulder.

Naruto finally noticed what was happening when the car rolled to a stop.

"You gotta pee, too, huh?" Naruto snickered. "So who's the loser NOW, hmm?"

"Shut up."

Sasuke said nothing else. He sat in the car for a moment.

And then the music and AC suddenly snapped off, and the motor ceased its rumbling.

Sasuke's hands were still tightly gripping the wheel.

Sakura mentally went over their itinerary for the day: eat, use the restroom, load the car, hit the road... But there was something else, something BEFORE reaching the edge of town...

Oh.

"Holy hell," she breathed, eyes wide. "We didn't stop for gas!"

 **AN: I'm so proud of myself, updating frequently and writing ahead. ;-; *pats myself on the shoulder***

 **Anyways, hope your end of the school year/summer break/start of the summer retail terror is going well! Let me know what you thought of this chapter! And don't worry, you'll find out what song was playing eventually. ;) Have patience and keep reading!**

 **xoxoPigTails**


	5. With a Bazillion Cherries on Top

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Xx **And the World Will be Better for This** xX

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 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

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 _Chapter Five: With a Bazillion Cherries on Top_

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 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"It's too hot!" Naruto moaned.

"Hot damn."

"Sakura, don't do this to me!" Naruto whined. "Don't make me hate such a beautiful musical work by referencing the Hell out of it."

Sakura grinned, wiggling her cell phone in her hand.

"Call the _po_ -lice and th-"

Naruto let out a groan.

"I agree with Naruto," Sasuke said, leaning against his car. "Stop."

"Aww, you guys are no fun." Sakura huffed, lifting her white sunglasses for a moment before letting them fall back on the groove of her nose. "It's called lightening the mood. So lighten up!"

"There's too much light," Naruto complained. "It burns!"

"Here." Naruto looked up to find Sakura rummaging through the Bag of Wonders. She tossed a bottle of sunscreen to him. "This might help with that."

Sasuke chuckled.

Naruto thanked her and then proceeded to apply the sunscreen.

Until he caught wind of the scent.

"HEY, YOU GAVE ME FLOWER STUFF!"

"Not flower," Sakura corrected. "Cucumber."

"Whatever. Smelly stuff. Eugh!"

"Well, unless you have your own sunscreen with you, deal."

Naruto sniffed, clearly upset, but said no more, resigned to biting the bullet.

"I have some," Sasuke said.

"Asshole is even worse than cucumbers," Naruto said. "No, thanks." The blonde rubbed the cucumber-scented sunscreen into his skin, then handed the bottle back to Sakura, who sat in the backseat.

They had rolled down the windows completely. It helped a bit with the heat, since a light breeze was rolling through the open windows, but it was still getting hot. Sitting In the car was only temporary; Sasuke's leather seats were going to heat up, and eventually the three young adults would have to suck it up and exit the vehicle.

Sakura cleared her throat. Both boys turned their heads in her direction.

"All right," she said finally. "Who's going to make the call?"

"And to who?" Naruto added.

"Who else would we call besides a tow truck?" Sakura asked, perplexed.

"Uh, how 'bout a doting parent who would happily drive out into the middle of nowhere to bring us gas?" Naruto replied.

"Do you really wanna involve your parents?" Sakura asked.

Naruto shrugged.

"Better than wasting money on something unnecessary."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"My parents won't help," she said. "My dad already thinks it's a bad idea for us to be up and about. If we call for help, he's gonna insist we just come home."

"Aww, looking out for his pwecious baby giwl!" Naruto teased.

"I guess," Sakura said. "But he won't help us out."

"How about your mom?" Sasuke offered. "She's reasonable."

Sakura shook her head.

"She wouldn't mind, but then she'll tell my dad, and then he'd bombard us with calls or chase us down himself once we took off again. IF we took off again." She shook her head. "My mom is on his side, too. She didn't want me out and about on the road all summer." Sakura absentmindedly twirled a strand of her pink locks around her finger. "So. My parents are out for the count."

"Mine aren't," Naruto said, whisking his phone out of his pocket. "Lemme give it a try."

"I doubt it," Sasuke said skeptically.

"You _dare_ question?"

"I do."

"Rude."

"Read: realistic," Sakura added.

"I don't _do_ realistic," Naruto replied. "Too constricting." He dialed a number, and put the phone to his ear, grinning widely at Sakura and Sasuke.

His friends looked on as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Naruto's dad answered.

"Hiya, pops, what's up?" Naruto's bubbly voice resounded loudly.

"Oh, Naruto!" Naruto could hear his father's smile in his voice. "How's the road trip?"

"Great! We're having lots of fun!" Naruto laughed.

"That's good to hear." There was a pause on the other side of the line. "So why'd you call?"

"Well, see," Naruto drawled, "There's just this tiny problem."

"What is it?"

"We, uh... We sorta ran out of gas."

Minato laughed.

"Call a tow-truck, then," Minato told his son.

"But Dad!" Naruto sounded offended. "That costs _MONEY!_ "

"If you need more, I can always add some to your account," Minato replied.

"Well, we were hoping you could maybe... _Bring_ us some gas?"

"Not a chance."

Naruto let out a groan.

"Aww, come on Dad, why not?"

"Because I'm at work," Minato replied. "I seriously doubt Sakura and Sasuke also expect me to drop everything and come help you."

"But-"

"The answer is no, Naruto," Minato replied. "Let this be a valuable lesson to you three."

"Dad!" Naruto whined.

"Have fun, Naruto!"

Minato hung up.

Naruto stared into space, stunned, for a few seconds.

Then he groaned again.

"Dad said no!" he cried.

"Well, yeah," Sakura said. "He's the _Prime Minister,_ Naruto. What did you expect?"

"Told you," Sasuke said haughtily.

Naruto stuck his tongue out, then dialed his mom.

She answered on the second ring.

"What's up, munchkin?"

"Heya mom!" Naruto smiled.

"Hi, sweetie!" gushed Kushina. "Glad to hear from you!"

"You, too," Naruto replied with equal enthusiasm.

"Sooooo," drawled Kushina, "How's the road trip going?"

"Uh, nice." Naruto pursed his lips. "It's nice. Uh, can I ask for a favor, Mom?"

"Anything," she replied lovingly.

"We kinda ran outta gas, so could you bring us some?"

"Anything _EXCEPT_ that," Kushina replied. Naruto let out a groan. His mother cackled in response.

"Mom, come on, we're in a tough spot here!" he said.

"You should've prepared better, then," Kushina replied. "Gas management is very important any time you hit the road, you know!"

"Mom, please?" he begged.

"Hmm..." She paused. "I don't know..."

" _Pretty_ please?" Naruto begged again.

"With a cherry on top?" Kushina asked.

Naruto nodded vigorously.

"With a ba _zillion_ cherries on top!"

"Well, I guess if you put it like that," Kushina responded.

"Thanks, mom, you're a godsend!"

Kushina laughed.

"Where are you guys?" she asked.

"No clue," Naruto replied.

"Then no gas," she answered.

"Waitwaitwait, hang on," Naruto said hastily. "Sasukeeeeee!"

He handed the phone to his friend.

"Where you kiddos at?"

"The middle of nowhere," Sasuke mumbled. "We're on K-7, a few miles into the forest."

"A FEW?" Sakura remarked, humored. "More like a LOT."

Sasuke shot an annoyed glare at her.

"Oh. That's kinda far."

"I know." Sasuke paused. "Mrs. Uzumaki, you don-"

"I'll be there in thirty minutes!" chirped the Uzumaki woman. Sasuke could have sworn he heard an engine turning on. "See you guys soon!"

And with that, Uzumaki Kushina hung up.

"Well," Sasuke said, "She's on her way."

"How soon will she be here?" asked Sakura.

"She said thirty minutes."

" _WHAT?!_ " Sakura gawked. "Seriously?"

Sasuke clicked his tongue.

"Have you _never_ been in the car when that woman drives?" he asked skeptically.

"Minato's always the one to drive when I'm around," Sakura said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Only because Dad cares more about your safety than the Asshole's," Naruto supplied. "Mom drives like a banshee on crack."

"That's an understatement," Sasuke mumbled.

"How... comforting," Sakura responded, clearly taken aback by this new information.

"She'll be here in thirty minutes for sure," Sasuke said.

"Hooray!" Naruto yelled, flinging his arms in the air. "Mommy to the rescue!"

 **AN: Thanks for reading, everyone. Btw, if you like Noragami, you should check out the Noragami Scavenger Hunt on Tumblr. It's really fun, whether you actually participate of just track the tags. I recommend it, especially if you have some free time!**

 **xoxoPigTails**


	6. What Freedom Feels Like

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Xx **And the World Will be Better for This** xX

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 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

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 _Chapter Six: What Freedom Feels Like_

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 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Mama Ino is here to save the day!"

"How does this count as saving?" Sai asked.

"Uh, I saved you," Ino replied. "From the Evil Kirby of Death."

Hinata giggled. Ino and Sai were engrossed in a match of Super Smash Bros. Hinata was at the wheel, winding along the highway surrounded by trees.

The wind coming through the window was nice, she thought. It carried the scents of fresh wood and clear water. The scenery was beautiful: the trees were tall and shrouded the road with a comfortable shade, but the sunlight still streamed brilliantly through the foliage. Hinata's long tresses flew about her, jubilantly free in the wind's caresses. The sun shining brightly above held the promise of adventure.

Hinata was thoroughly looking forward to it.

They drove on, for quite a few minutes.

"Hinatiiiink!"

Hinata had drowned out the conversation and noise coming from her two passengers, focusing on the road and admiring how beautiful the day was. She was prone to doing that: getting lost in her thoughts and in nature.

So being called back from that startled Hinata.

"Ah!" The Hyuuga let out a squeak. Beside her, Ino rapped her nails on the passenger-side windowpane. The blonde looked at her friend.

"You okay?" she asked. "You looked lost in your own world."

"Ah, s-sorry about that." Hinata smiled apologetically. "What is it?"

"Ah." Ino smiled brightly in return. "I was just telling Sai that we should all play a game."

"A game?" Hinata nodded. "O-Okay."

"All right!" Ino pumped her fist in the air. "Let's play Pokedex!"

"What is that?" asked Sai. The sound of him snapping his 3DS closed came from directly behind Hinata. "And how do we play?"

"Easy!" Ino turned in her seat to face the artist. "First things first: It's a Pokemon game, obviously." Ino ticked off her makeshift explanations with her fingers. "Second: It's also an alphabet game. And third: I'm gonna whip your butts."

Sai raised an eyebrow.

"How?"

"Because," Ino said, "I happen to have over four hundred of the Pokemon memorized." She smirked.

"I have a-all of them down," Hinata chirped in.

"And you still lose to me!"

"Sounds interesting," Sai said. "I'd like to play."

"Okay, so rules." Ino clapped her hands excitedly. "You have to name a Pokemon for every letter of the alphabet. We each get a turn. No repeat names. If someone said it, you can't anymore." Ino twirled a finger through a clump of her long bangs. "You get one shot, six seconds long. If you don't answer in time, you get a strike. Three strikes, you're out! You get two passes."

"All right." Sai nodded. "I understand."

"Great!" Ino turned to Hinata. "Ready?"

"Mhm!"

"Great!" Ino's eyes, Hinata was sure, were as bright as the sun outside. "Okay, Sai, rock paper scissors!"

The two played quickly. Ino won.

"Sai's last!" Ino sang. "Okay, Sai, think of a number from 1-10 and have us guess."

"Okay." Sai nodded. "Guess."

"Two," Ino said immediately.

"Uhm, nine."

"It was four. Ino goes first."

Ino cheered.

"Lady luck is on my side!" she said boisterously. "Okay, Sai, Hinatink, we start with the letter A! You guys count down from six together."

"Six," Sai began.

Hinata, not expecting him to start so soon, opened her mouth to chime in.

Ino yelled out an answer before Hinata managed to speak.

"Aipom!" Hinata could feel the happiness oozing from her friend beside her. "Your turn, Hinatink!"

Sai and Ino started her countdown.

"Uhm..." Hinata perused her mind for a Pokemon. "Ampharos."

"Nice. Your turn, Sai! Six, five, fo-"

"Articuno."

"Woo!" Ino clapped. "On to B, then!"

Right when Sai and Hinata reached four, Ino spoke.

"Bulbasaur!"

"Bidoof."

"Blaziken."

"Chikorita."

"C-Cyndaquil!"

"Caterpie."

The game progressed like that. Hinata and Sai both used a pass; Sai lost two points eventually, and Ino kept what she felt to be a comfortable lead. For a while, though, they seemed to be at a standstill.

Until they reached the letter U.

"Unown!"

"U-Uh..." Hinata racked her brain. Panic swept over her as the countdown progressed and her mind produced no immediate answer. "Uh... U-Unova, Uhm..."

And then, all at once, it came to her.

"Umbreon!"

"Cuttin' it close, Hinatink," Ino teased. The blonde turned to face Sai. "Your turn! Six, five, four..."

"I don't know any more," Sai interrupted. "That makes three strikes, correct?"

"Correct," Ino replied. She grinned. "Looks like it's just you and me, Hinatink!"

The girls continued.

It was not until they reached X that Ino faltered.

But not because she didn't have a Pokemon in mind.

It was because she saw a distinctly familiar car pulled alongside the road.

Sakura, she thought. And the Asshole.

"Six, five, four..."

Ino couldn't believe her eyes. She nearly pointed it out to her friends, but stopped. If she did that, then...

No, her friends were distracted with the countdown. A strike in a silly game was a small price to pay, and she'd take it.

"Zero... I-Ino!" Hinata, so alarmed that her friend hadn't named a Pokemon, did not pay much attention to the car she zoomed past on the highway. "I... I won?"

"Ah..." Ino turned her attention back to her friends in the car. She feigned embarrassment. "I can't believe it... I drew a blank like that!" She laughed. "Oops." She shook her head. "You bested me this time, Hinata."

The Hyuuga giggled, smiling brightly, her cheeks flushed from the excitement.

Did Sai notice? Ino turned in her chair to see.

But he was drawing something in his sketchbook, no longer paying any attention now that a winner had been declared.

She was safe.

"All right, well, enough of that," Ino said. "Let's pull over to eat somewhere, I'm starving."

"Ino, we're in the middle of nowhere," Hinata said.

"Well, actually, the middle of Konoha's outskirting forests," Sai added. "But for all intents and purposes, we may as well be nowhere. There are no restaurants nearby."

Ino laughed.

"Then let's just hurry and get to Suna!"

Hinata giggled again, shaking her head.

"Oh, Ino..."

"We can't get there immediately, Ino."

"Oh, details, details," Ino said, waving Sai's comment off. "Hinatink, just hit it."

Hinata shook her head quickly.

"No, I'm n-not speeding on the highway!"

"It's like you guys said! We're in the middle of nowhere." Ino leaned closer to Hinata. "Remember, we're having fun, and you're being a rebel. So REBEL!"

Hinata took a deep breath, taking in Ino's words.

And the car lurched forward.

Ino cheered. Things were looking up.

Hinata felt a rush of euphoria. Was this what freedom felt like?

Sai frowned. The sudden movement had made him mess up his drawing.

And while the friends grew closer, they also drew further away.

 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Narutooooooo!"

"Mommyyyyyyy!"

Sasuke made a sound of distaste. Naruto flung himself into his mother's arms, hugging her tightly, and she hugged him back, showering his head with kisses.

"Makes me sick," he mumbled.

"I think it's sweet," Sakura replied.

"Yeah. In a sickening way."

"She's here for YOUR car, be grateful."

"Tch."

"Remind me again, Sasuke, who forgot to fill the tank?" Sakura sing-songed. Sasuke sent a glare her way; she simply smiled triumphantly in response, knowing her point had gotten across clearly.

"I have the gas here!" Kushina called out, cheerily swinging a gas can back and forth with both her arms. "Ready to reload whenever you are!"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had eventually exited the car, as it had gotten too hot without the AC to stay put inside it. (Plus, Sakura's mostly exposed legs were starting to get sweaty, which was gross in itself, but also meant that they were going to start sticking to Sasuke's leather seats, which would prove uncomfortable, gross, AND noisy; thus, she insisted they get out. ASAP.) They leaned against the car until Kushina arrived in a flurry of road-kicked dust, dirt, and sunshine.

(They heard her before they saw her; the revving of her engine was ridiculously loud, even in the forest, and Sasuke gave a snort at the same time Naruto exclaimed his mom was here just before her bright red convertible zoomed around the bend in the road and pulled up behind them.)

"Coming," Sasuke replied, pushing off his Elantra to help Kushina fill his gas tank. Sakura joined Naruto, who was lounging blissfully in the passenger seat of his mom's car, blasting the AC on his face with a goofy grin. She slid into the back of the convertible, positioning herself behind Naruto so she also felt the cool relief of the air conditioning.

She sighed happily.

"Feels good."

"Mhm."

The two watched with mild interest as Sasuke and Kushina filled the gas tank. Sakura pushed her sunglasses down from their perch on her head, letting them fall comfortably until they came to rest on her nose. She looked up at the wide, blue sky above them and smiled.

They might have spent a good half hour out here, but they had the rest of the summer.

She wasn't worried.

"All done!" Kushina came bounding back to her convertible. "Time to hit the road again, kiddos!"

"Yay!" Naruto let out a thunderous whoop, and Sakura laughed.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Uzumaki," Sakura said. Kushina laughed dismissively.

"Oh, it's nothing," she replied. "Just don't tell Minato, he'll kill me for spoiling you all like this." She winked at Naruto and Sakura. Naruto winked back.

"Your secret's safe with me," he said.

"Minato? Who's that?" Sakura said, grinning, joining in on the playfulness as well.

Kushina grinned widely, her expression nearly identical to the one her son wore.

"I've taught you well, my young Padawans."

"Thank you, Mom!" Naruto hugged his mom tightly, and she hugged him back, reaching up to pat her son's head.

"Your welcome, Sunshine." Kushina pulled away and gestured to Sasuke's car in front of them. "Now go see the world!"

Naruto grinned at his mom, let out a boiserous "YOSH!," and then practically threw himself towards Sasuke's car. Sakura waved at Kushina before joining him, hurrying back to Sasuke's car.

"Back on schedule!" she declared as she closed the passenger door behind her. "Let's hit the road, Jack!"

"You forgot to add 'ass' to that," Naruto snickered in the backseat.

"Idiots." Sasuke revved the engine, testing it, and then let out a hum of satisfaction. He pulled back onto the road, and they were off again.

Sakura turned around to see Kushina barreling back towards Konoha. Or maybe they were barreling away from it.

Either way, they were back on track again, and their whole summer lay spread out ahead of them.

 **xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

 **AN: Whoo, sorry about the long wait! I got sick last week, and then this week I've been working extra days at work since my boss asked me to. (And, really, who turns down easy cash like that? NOT ME!) Anyways, I was gonna make it shorter, but I embellished it just for you guys~! Thanks for your patience! If you liked it, don't forget to review!**


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